Isaac's Story

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Managing my Own Support

As an active Newham volunteer Isaac enjoyed a busy life, but having a number of physical and mental impairments meant that this was not always possible.

Isaac has several impairments including epilepsy, asthma, bipolar affective disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome. He was not always able to manage his medication, maintain his health and get to work. Isaac became ill and was often admitted to hospital.

“I wasn’t able to live at home independently due to the lack of local support. I just wanted to manage my own life but often this was difficult.”

In Newham social workers, employment and housing teams to work together to support people. These teams worked together with Isaac to develop an appropriate support package.

Isaac explained that he wanted assistance that would enable him to support himself, get back to work and manage his medication so he could stay out of hospital.

Isaac was eligible for funding and worked with the team to agree an Personal Budget. He used it to employ a support worker to assist him with his daily living and help manage his medication. A Disability Employment Adviser from Job Centre Plus in Stratford was also part of his team and provided the support he needed to get back to work.

“Everyone could see that I was now more able to do things. I was able to maintain a part time job and attend to daily tasks like shopping whereas before I had this support,I had to rely on others. It was a real turning point for me because it made me able to manage my health more effectively, which led to less time in hospital. Having this support has made all the difference.